Coil-forming apparatus.



No'. 825,249. 1 PATENTED JULY 3, 1906.

G. E. STEVENS.

COIL FORMING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.24.1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Indehb o Ge or ge BSbeOeha No. 825,249. PATENTED JULY 8, 1906. G. E. STEVENS.

0011. FORMING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION TILED JAN.24.1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' InOehboT? GeorgeEfibeOens,

CDibne-sses:

No. 825,249. PATENTED JULY 3, 1906.

, G. E. STEVENS.

COIL FORMING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24. 1902..

3 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

WI/ll),

witnesses: lndenbor, 77 George ESbevens,

1 BYMOQA a bby.

iTEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. STEVENS, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GEN- ERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COIL-FORMING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. July 3, 1906.

To all whom [it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. STEVENS, a citizen of the United States-i residing at Lynn, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useflil Improvements in Coil-Forming Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to coil-forming apparatus, and has for its object the production of a simple and highly-efficient means for winding thin strips of metal on edge into coils of desired length.

Heretofore much difficulty has been experienced in the manufacture of edge-wound coils on account of the tendency of the strip to buckle or fall out of a true helix, due to the unequal strains set up in the strip as it is bent. Moreover, when the coils are formed by winding the successive convolutions in juxtaposition to convolutions previously formed there is a tendency for the outer edges of the convolutions to fall back relative to the inner edges, due to the fact that the outer edge of the strip is contracted transversely, while the inner edge is upset in the operation of bending. a

The most effectual method of winding fiat strips on edge has been found to consist in the use of a die which supports the strip on both sides until it has passed the formingoint. This method, however, presents a num of mechanical difficulties, such as the introduction of the strip into and through the die to the oint of attachment to the mandrel and the liability of rupturing the strip, due to the relatively great friction between working surfaces of the die and the sides of the strip.

According to my invention I provide a mandrel adapted to be received and rotated by the ordinary engine-lathe or boring-mill and a winding-head adapted to cooperate with said mandrel either by having relative axial movement therewith or by means of an auxiliary movable sleeve, whereby the coil is formed in place upon the supporting part. The winding-head is provided with channels and grooves, whereby the strip is independently supported on both sides for a greater or less part of a complete convolution and then discharged therefrom and left either in juxtaposition With the previously-formed coil or separated therefrom, as desired. In order that the strip may be readily introduced into the winding-head, I provide the latter with a point of ingress andafter the strip has been inserted restored to its operative position, carrying with it the strip and forming the first convolution.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a coil-forming apparatus embodying one form of my invention and shown in connection with an ordinary lathe. Fi 2 is an enlar ed horizontal axial section of t e ap aratus s own in Fig. 1. Fig. 3is aright-hand e evation of the winding head. Fig. 4 is a section, on line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of the apparatus in which the windin head is designed to move away from the coi Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively a top plan and an end elevation of another modification. Fig.8 is a perspective view of a coiling-head designed to operate upon two strips simultaneously. Fig.9is a side elevation, with parts broken away, of a coil-forming apparatus designed for making coils of irregular contour. Fig. 10 isa left-hand elevation of the windinghead shown in Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is a horizontal axial section on line 11 11 of Fig. 9. Fig. 12 is a horizontal section on line 12 12 of Fig.

10. Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a coi forming apparatus adapted for use upon thick strips, and Fig. 14 is a side elevation thereof.

As shown in Fig. 1, the coil-formin apparatus is designed to be supported by t e centers of an ordinary lathe A in the usual manner, the tool-carriage being em loyed merely as a rest for a part of the win ing-head, and the reel C for the stri may be clamped to the bed of the lathe. lhe coil-formmg apparatus consists of a supporting-mandrel 1, which is adapted to be en aged by the lathecenters, and an axially-s eeved mandrel 2, loosely mounted upon the supportingmandrel 1 and held from rotation re ative thereto by a feather 3; Surrounding the right end of the sleeved mandrel 2 is a shouldered collar 4-. The.windirighead surrounds the left end of the mandrel 2 and comprises the sleeve 5, having a driving fit at its left end with the supporting-mandrel 1 and is chambered out for a greater portion of its length to permit the sleeved mandrel 2 to telescope therewith and provided at its right end with a diskshaped flange 6 and ahardend friction-shoulder 7 at its external right-hand end. SUI-7 rounding the flange 6 and a portion of the sleeve 5 is a recessed ring 8, connected by means of set-screws 9 to a guide-plate 10. The guide-plate 10 has an outer periphery like t at of the ring 8, and its inner periphery forms a bearing for the friction-shoulder 7 of spanner-holes 16, whereby it may he ro-' tated by hand. A conical recess is formed in its right side, and at its left side,'near its inner periphery, it is provided with a shoulder 17 for the reception of a flange of the split friction-ring 18, to which the latter is attached by set-screws. The friction-ring 18is made of hardened steel and has a slot 19diagonally traversing it for the passage of the strip from the left-hand surface to the right.

The slot '19 is normally positioned one hundred and eighty degrees from the point of stationary friction-s ing the tool-carriagp union of the guide-passage 12 with the forming-passage about mandrel 2. In order to introduce thestr-ip into the winding-head,

the adjustable ring 15, to which the frictionring '18 is attached, is turned backward until the left-hand end of the slot 19 is brought into line with the channel 12, when the stl'i will pass through the slot 19 with sli ht culty, and the end is then secur to the shouldered collar 4. The adjustable ring 15 is then turned forward to the desired position, where it may be held by the friction between. the parts or by clamps. The-device being now ready to operate, the mandrels -1 and '2 and sleeve 5 are caused to rotate in unison, while the guidepla.te wand its associated parts-the recessed 1ing 8, the adjust: able ring 15,- and friction-ring 18ar.e restrained from rotation by the arm 11 engagor other stationary art. It is to be noted t at the friction-shoul er 7 and the periphery of the sleeved mandrel 2 as the come in contact with the strip move wit it at the same speed, so that the friction bet-ween said .parts and the stri acts t carry it along against the op osing tion of the aces on the guide- }gplate 10 and the fricti0n-ri ng 18, so that the .-':ftensile. strain upon the strip 18 reduced to a f-n'egligi'b le quantity and irrespective ofthe total friction between the friction-surfaces head a considerable distanceand the strip. It will accordingly be seen that the winding-head readily operates to forge or draw the strip, so as to prevent the usual distortion of the rectangular cross-sec tion during the coilin operation. 7

The construction s own in Fig. 5 differs from that above described in that the supporting and sleeved mandrels 1 and 2 are made integral and the winding-head arranged to be traversed to the left by the accu- 7 mulation of the coil at the right. In the figure is shown one means for clamping the strip to the collar 4, consisting of a ever 20, pivoted at its right end to the collar and normally forced away from a radial shoulder 21 8 in the collar by a spring 22 and operated to engage the strip by a screw 23, passing therethrough and engagim the collar 4.

The construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7 consists of a supporting-mandrel 1, upon 8 which the shouldered collar 4 is directly mounted, and the movable winding-head. The winding-head is here shown in its simplest form and consists of a split sleeve 25,

having a radial friction-surface on its right- 9 hand end, and attached thereto with an 1ntervening space by means of pins 26 is a ring friction-ring 27 having a slot 28. The seeve 25 is held from rotatin by means of an arm 29, attached thereto an engaging some 9 stationary part of the lathe. The arm 29 has a groove 30 in its upper surface, which leads into the intervening space between the split sleeve 25 and friction-ring 27. A plate 31 is connected to the upper surface of the arm 29 1 by a screw and overlies the groove 30 to hold the strip therein. An adjustable means is applied to the split sleeve 25 to va its reslstance to longitudinal travel along t 0 mandrel, consisting of a screw-bolt 32, passing 1 throu h lugs 33Ion the respective sides of the splits eeve and provided with a spring 34. Whenthestrip is introduced into the windinghead,'it is run throu h the guide-groove 30 and the lower part of t 1e intervening space between the split sleeve 25 and the frictionring 27 and allowed to project beyond the The operator then manually bends the projecting end up through the intervening space and carries it out throu h the slot 28, connecting it to the shoulders collar 4 in the usual manner.

order to facilitate this manual operation, the strip may be reduced in width atits end; but for most kinds of strips will be unnecesl lac windingllhead shownin Fi .-8 is designed for g two strips simutaneously and differs from the construction of Figs. 6 and 7 only-in that two grooves 30 and two fiction-rings 27, with the corresponding intervening spaces, are provided.

The form of winding a paratus shown in Figs. 9 to 12 is designed or making coils of rectangular contour and consists of a mandrel 1 su port the sid 1, upon which are fixed two prismat c blocks 36 and 37. Block 36 has a rabbet 38 formed in the periphery of its right-hand face, which serves as a strip. The lock 37 is somewhat smaller than block 36 and serves as a steadier for the formed coil. A friction-plate 39 is located between the blocks 36 and: 37 and is provided with a substantially radial slot 40 forthe passage of the coiled stri as formed to the ri ht side of the plate. T carrie by a frame 41, provided at its lower end with guides 42 for engagin the ways of the lathe. A reciprocatin gui e-block 43 is provided to operate with t e rabbeted block 36 andis mounted to, slide up and down by means of a dovetailed connection with the left-hand side of the frame 41 and is normally pressed upward bys rings 44, engaging the lower part thereof an a projection from the frame 41.

In the construction shown in Figs. 13 and 14 an adjustable tension means is shown, consisting of a guide-box 45, having an adjustable slide 46, a apted to be moved and held in adjusted position by screws 47.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a device for 'edgewise-coiling flat metal strips, the combination with a winding-mandrel, of a circular winding-head surrounding said mandrel and having provisions for supporting the article to be wound upon bOth SI es through the point of initial bending and substantially a semiconvolution.

2. In a device for edgewise-coiling flat metal strips, the combination with a windin -mandrel, of a winding-head surrounding sald mandrel and having provisions for supportingrthe article to be wound upon both sides t oulgh the point of initial bending and substantia y a semiconvolution, and for discharging the article as formed sidewise from said head and into Iiluxtaposition with the previously-formedco' p 3. The combination of a windin -mandrel, a winding-head movable relative t ereto and provided with friction-surfaces adapted to article to be wound upon both es through the point of initial bending and substantial y a semiconvolution, and a side assage-wa in one of said friction-surfaces or the disc arge of the article as formed.

4'. The combination of a windin -mandrel, a winding -head surroundin sai mandrel and having entrance and disc arge openings for the article to be wound located on diametrically op osite sides thereof and means .to facilitate t e introduction 0 the article into and through said head. 5. The combination of awinding-mandrel "a winding-head surrounding sai mandrel and havin entrance and discharge openings f for-the artlcle to be wound located on oppooove for the reception of the' he plate 39 is and rovided wit site sides thereof, and means to-bring one of '15 said 0 enings into alinement with the other.

6. he combination of a winding-mandrel and a winding-head surrounding said mandrel and provided witha normall stationary friction-surface and a movable 'ction-surface ada ted to travel with the article to be wound cm the point of initial bending throughout the greater portion of a convolution.

7. The combination of a winding-mandrel and a winding-head having entrance and discharge openings for the article to be wound located on opposite sides thereof and provided with a normally stationary friction-surface and a movable surface adapted to travel with the article to be wound from the point of initial bending throughout the greater portion of a convolution.

8. The combination of a winding-mandrel and a winding -head comprising a guideplate adapted to en age the outer edge of the article to be woun a movable friction-surface to travel with'the article, and a normally stationary friction-surface.

9. The combination of a winding-mandrel and a winding-head surrounding said mandrel, consisting of a guide-plate adapted to conduct the article tobe wound to the mandrel andto en age the outer edge of said article and hol it in engagement with the mandrel, a movable friction-surface adapted to travel with said article, and a normally stationary friction-ring having a passage for the formed article from the head and provision. whereby said ring may be rotated to bring said passage in alinement with entrance to the guide-plate.

10. The combination of a winding-mandrel and a winding-head surrounding said mandrel, consisting of a stationary guide-plate ada ted to conduct the article to be wound to the mandrel and to engage the outer edge of said article, a part having movable enga ement with sai .plate and provided with a i riction-surface to travel with the article, and a friction-ringlsupported upon said plate a passage for the formed artic e from the head.

1 1. The combination of a supporting-mandrel, -a sleeved mandrel feathered thereto, a telescoping sleeve fixed to one end of saidsup orting-mandrel and carrying a flange an ide-plate and a retaining-ring engaging said ange, and afriction-ring rotatablymounted 1 20 on sald plate. 1 In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of January, .1903.

GEORGE E. STEVENS.

Witnesses:

- DUGALD MoK. MOKILLOP, 'Hmmv O. WESTEN ABP.

friction-surface at one end, a stationary 

